Cross-cultural music takes the spotlight as we celebrate the 70th birthday of Chinese-born American composer Bright Sheng with a sampling of his works for Western and Chinese instruments. We also celebrate the American-born Australian composer and turntablist David Shea's 60th birthday with a look at his Thousand Buddha Caves project. Theresa Wong and the Lao Dan/Vasco Trilla duo offer their own borderland perspectives, while a Lou Harrison symphony premiered 50 years ago illustrates how his musical evolution went in the reverse direction of Sheng’s. Also turning 50 are a Keith Jarrett Quartet recording that offers a last glimpse of his early avant-garde dalliances, and a landmark album by the Revolutionary Ensemble that helped shape the direction of 1970s creative music. A pair of new releases by a pair of eminent New York octogenarians—Meredith Monk and Amina Claudine Myers—rounds out the proceedings. Read host Michael Schell's review of Monk's Cellular Songs at Sequenza21.com.
